A Yokozuna Performance by Kim Clijsters on her (Probably) Last Trip Down Under

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Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Kim Clijsters outmuscled and outplayed world #1 Caroline Wozniacki yesterday in a quarterfinal match played under stifling heat, leaving no doubt who qualifies as a real top player in ladies' tennis. Wozniacki's trademark ball-machine type defensive performance was just not enough against the fast, determined, varied game of Clijsters - and whenever Wozniacki tried to take the initiative herself it backfired. Only toward the end of the second set did Wozniakci have a part of the match, when Clisjters seemed both a tad nervous faced with repeated chances to close out the match and affected by the punishing heat conditions, otherwise it was all Clisjters.

Wozniacki will get re-promoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) after this tournament, and I believe this captures more accurately where she stands at this stage of her career than her ATP ranking. More generally, this match once again illustrated the transitional stage at which the ladies' game is. When the seasonsed Yokozuna-warhorses Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters are fit, they seem to be able to dominate the younger generation of players almost at will. Also note that Clijsters was just a solid Ozeki (=Champion) during the first portion of her career until 2007, in a field that sported, besides the Williams sisters, the likes of Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport, and a prime Maria Sharapova. Returning 2 1/2 years and a baby later, Clijsters is now a strong (albeit often injured) Yokozuna in what looks a decimated field.

Maybe things will change with a new bunch of players such as Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka overcame ex-Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) Agnieszka Radwanska in a three-setter quarterfinal yesterday and makes it to Sekiwake for the first time in her career. And Wimbledon champion Kvitova has a chance to even secure an Ozeki promotion if she wins her quarterfinal against Italian outsider Sara Errani.

In the mens' tournament, my prediction that ex-Ozeki Juan Martin del Potro could give Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer a tough time did not exactly come true, as a relaxed and confident Federer cruised through in three sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Komusubi and ex-Ozeki Tomas Berdych gave Federer's fellow Dai-Yokozuna Rafael Nadal a little more to think and sweat about, but in the end Nadal controlled the splendid but volatile Czech at the decisive moments of the game, winnning in four sets. Let's see whether David Ferrer (ex-Sekiwake) or Kei Nishikori have a chance to prevent another all-"Big 4" semifinal against Yokozuna Novak Djokovic/Ozeki Andy Murray, respectively.